Moonshadow Hyacinth Bean

(Dolichos lablab) Beautiful purple pods are used in Asia as a curry and stir-fry vegetable. Pick when small and tender, as old pods and dry beans may be poisonous! The long, rambling vine is also very ornamental with lilac-colored blossoms and purple stems. Thomas Jefferson planted this fine bean at Monticello.

These germinated well and grew exuberantly, but looked as if they were not going to produce. But in August they made flower spikes which quickly made a lot of beans. I wish I knew at what size they are poisonous. We ate them up to 3" with no problem.

I grew this in 2014 on purpose and it volunteered in 2015. In 2014, I grew it with about six other bean varieties and this one by far produced the most, grew most vigorously and was the most beautiful. It had essentially no pests and even continued to produce in the heat.
My biggest complaint with this one is that both years, when letting the pods dry on the vine, the quality suffered severely. They looked almost moldy with a white residue on the beans. Even after washing them, they were discolored and just generally kinda gross looking. I also experienced this with the christmas pole lima, but not with others (Kentucky wonder and dixie speckled butterpea). I'm not sure if I can even eat the beans still. I did take a few off the vine and dry them indoors and the quality was fine, so I would recommend that if you plan to dry these. Keep in mind that this vine gets huge... 15 to 20 feet long and very bushy
I haven't actually eaten any, so can't say anything about the taste

We played at these and these standard Kentucky long bean. the Kentucky long beans grew and sprouted and we froze lots of those before the first one of the moonshadow hyacinth beans ever flowered. But once they did flower my oh my first off they smelled terrific! lots of bees pollinating the flowers and hundreds and hundreds of beans. there are so many beans I don't know what will do with all the beans plenty to seed more next year. They have a flavor between an artichoke and a green bean, really enjoyable.

These are a very impressive bean they are a little slow to start but once they start blooming the show never stops. The flowers are stunning, though oddly not attractive to bees, and once the pods start forming below the flowers they are a true show stopper. I manage a Chef's CSA and they are unreasonably popular with these folks because of their color and the ease of cooking, they have a really unique flavor among the bean families and if gently blanched in water which is reserved from previous blanchings, they will retain some of their color when cooked--many of my chefs used them in composed salads as garnish. You do have to keep up with picking because they do become toxic when older--must be vigilant, as older beans still look delicious.

Red stems, deep,green leaves and spikes of gorgeous purple flowers make this a stunning ornamental that I have frown along the railing of my front porch for 3 years now. And then the pods! A brilliant, shiny purple hue, in copious numbers! I don't know if my variety is edible in the pod...they seem tough, but I shell them and cook the green or turning-black beans like edamame in stir fries and soups. Yummy! The seeds are easy to gather, store, and sprout here in humid 7b NC. I get volunteers from fallen seeds too, and dig them up as gifts for friends. A great plant!